Blooming and fading flowers
by Lisea18
Summary: When it's much more than just a fight, two geniuses, a dream, a cry, a mystery and so many questions. The fight between Sasuke and Itachi. Please R&R 'sound and leaf' reader's, no need to read this,but you don't need 'sound and leaf' to understand


Title: Blooming and fading flowers  
Author: Lisea18  
Rating: K+  
Character (mention or present): Itachi, Sasuke  
Warning: angst  
Disclaimer: I do not own  
Summary: The fight between Itachi and Sasuke.

A big thanks to my Beta!

Author's note: English is not my first language, so please forgive my mistakes.

If you read my story "Sound and Leaf " you already know this scene. I just wanted to publish it on is own… I don't know why. Maybe because it was hell writing it lol It is slightly changed to be readable alone.

**Blooming and fading flowers**

_"Here I am, take me - or stab me to death. Stab the heart, stab the brain, stab the lungs, the kidneys, the viscera, the eyes, the ears. If only one organ be left alive you are doomed - doomed to be mine, forever, in this world and the next and all the worlds to come." _

Henri Miller -The rosy crucifixion.

ooooooooooooooooo

Trees dashed before his eyes, Sasuke's heart was thundering. He could feel the excitement rising in him, melt with dread.

Itachi was alone. Sasuke knew his partner, Kisame, had left for at least two days. It was fearless that Sasuke had entered the small clearing, just next to a beautiful lake, glinting in the slowly fading sunlight. Itachi had raised his Sharingan eyes to him and rain had started to pour on their standing and immobile forms. In seconds Sasuke was drenched, his bangs falling limply against his features. Itachi had walked toward him and opened his coat, lifting a part of it to protect Sasuke from the rain. Sasuke was still so small compared to his brother.

A memory had flashed behind Sasuke's black eyes, a small boy trying not to cry but lost in the forest, rain freezing his small body. The rain had stopped but little Sasuke could still hear it. He had raised his crumpled face to see his brother standing other him, his coat open to protect him. But then another memory had shattered the nice reminiscence, a blood rain, bodies collapsing… Sasuke's eyes turned red.

At the very same time, Itachi had smoothly stepped away as the rain ceased. Itachi was standing on the same place than just before, had it all been a dream? A hope? Or a blessed moment…

"As you wished I've lived for this moment. I've survived. I've betrayed my friends and severed my bonds, taste my hatred! And die!"

Just like the last time they met, Sasuke dashed straight toward his brother, chidori chirping in his hand. Was it a cry of war, of hatred, or of despair? Just like on that fateful day Itachi didn't even dodge, he just caught his brother's wrist, his face as impassive as a mask. But Sasuke wasn't the same hopeless child, already left-handedly he had drawn Kusanagi and Itachi had backed away.

The fight had started, not the pitiful fight of a weak child before a genius, but the fight of two geniuses at their strongest. However Sasuke had yet to bloom, he didn't have the eyes. Itachi was slowly loosing his eyesight. At the present time the blooming flower was fighting the fading one.

Was it really a battle? It looked like a perfectly achieved dance. They were brushing each other, each touch a lover's caress that shaped a ribbon of blood. Ribbons that trailed in the air bent and curved leaving behind a drizzle of bloody tears. Locks of black hair rained and scattered to die on the muddy ground. The light was a succession of reddish fire melting with dark cursed flames. (1)

Twists of bodies, clashes of steel, brushing and touching in a deadly tango. You could taste the pain, a sorrow that could break bones and crush lives. You could feel the love mixed with hatred, the strange link they shared beyond death. The dancers seemed reluctant to let the music die, they stretched time, extended their connection, spared each other, and pushed until one of them broke.

Sasuke grazed his brother's throat with Kusanagi, Chidori coursing within. A light touch was all it took; Itachi only laid his hand on his brother's holding the sword, not enough to stop the stab but enough to break Sasuke. Letting go of the blade, Sasuke's fingers brushed Itachi's cheek, sliding on his face, brushing his hair and body as he himself dropped on the ground, on his knees, hand clutching Itachi's torn clothes.

Only a whispered"why?" that carried everything, all the feelings.

Head lowered, Sasuke buried his head in the creases of the Akatsuki coat. A slender hand gently cupped the young man's chin, forcing him to raise his head.

"You're not ready yet, foolish Otouto, you don't have…them."

As their eyes locked Itachi plunged the Mangekyô in Sasuke's Sharingans. There was no screaming. A smile crept on Itachi's lips as Sasuke resisted the Mangekyô's power. Glaring and hurt eyes, diving in cold unfeeling ones, Sasuke drew his brother's to him, his lips brushing the shell of his hear.

"Itachi-nissan."

Sasuke kicked him hard on the stomach, sending the tired man flying to the lake. With a sideslip Itachi stabilized on the water. He waved toward his brother, as he used to do before poking his head. Sasuke dashed at him, chakra blazing around him.

Now the dance included a new partner, the water splashing around them, as the setting, weapon and protection. As fire brushed him, Itachi dropped in the water's depth. Slowly coming back to the surface, lying on his back, his head raised toward the lasting sun, a drop fell from the corner of his eyes, but Sasuke and Naruto knew it wasn't a tear.

Bangs wet, drops clinging to them and falling back into the depths, Sasuke was watching, transfigured. Emerging like a forgotten curse, Itachi was suddenly mere inches from Sasuke, with a push of his palm Sasuke was sent flying against a tree. Death wearing his brother's features came rushing toward him. Sasuke wasn't a frightened child anymore, he always faced everything.

The kunai sank to the hilt, a curtain of black fell on him as two fingers poke his head, then the weight of a body. Sasuke caught it, letting the head drop on his shoulder, the fingers brushing him before the arms settled unmoving against them. He was flushed against the already cooling body.

Hugging him carefully, Sasuke lowered to the floor, arms tightly wrapped against his brother's back to support him. With Sasuke's movement, Itachi's head tilted, letting the curtain spread between them, as an ephemeral link. Some blood trailed from the pale lips, staining the white features.

Eyes unseeing and black, Sasuke clung to his brother's frame, leaning on him, a soulless and soundless scream echoing in his heart. Hand entangled in the hair, cheek on cheek, arms wrapped around the frail form, Sasuke's scattered into as many fragments as drops of blood littered the scene of their separation. The dying flower had joined his grave; the other one had achieved his blooming.

Carrying him as a precious child, Sasuke helped Itachi rest against a tree. After he tended as much as possible to their wounds, he knelt before him.

"Nissan…Nissan?"

The day was slowly dying away as darkness spread her arms and her long icy fingers cooled down all she touched. Her dark mane lowered over everything like a curtain of night.

"Nissan you won't ever leave me again, right?"

As the last thread of red light was swallowed up, the night settled herself on the world, her hair glowing with starry pearls. One single silver eye opened to watch over those who sought her.

ooooooooooooooooo

(1) For those who might wonder, I'm referring to Itachi's flames, which are dark if you remember his escape from Jiraiya's frog's stomach.

Please review! Please!

By the way, for those interested in stories about Itachi and Sasuke, I published another two: "Diary" and "Letters".  
Thanks to those who already read them! Thanks to those who reviewed… and please if you go read them leave me a review (smile)


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